Dust guard



Sept. 30, 1941. D. JoHANNEsEN DUS T GUARD Filed Aug. 23, 1957 Illllll, fait Patented SPtf UNITED sTArE zas-:.119

, vrms'rvoummi v Douglas ll. Johannsen. Chicago, Ill. Appllolilon August 23, 1937, Serial N0. 160,400 .l

. j momma This invention relates to railway vehicle and y other ljournal boxes, and more particularlyto oil and dust guards therefor.

It is an object of my invention to provide a unitary combined oil and dust guard device for a journal box.

It is another object to provide a dust guard which will adapt itself automatically to axles of different diameters. I

It is also' an object to provide a resilient seal device which will adapt itself to axle seats of different diameters.

A further object resides in the provision of a device of this character adapted to be inserted readily and easily into and similarly removed from a journal box dust guard pocket.

Another object is' the provision of a sealing unit affording ready replacement of the sealing element thereof.

A further object is the provision of a sealing element of'resilient soft oiland wear-resistant material. a

It is another object to provide a dust guard pocket closure which may be firmly seated and readily unseated.

Other.' objects are to provide a device of the character referred to: in which a single element functions both as an oil seal and a dust seal; in which the guard has minimum contact with the walls of the dust guard pocket and is easily removable from the pocket irrespective of weather conditions; in which a centralsealing element is adapted to be supported in spaced relation to the dust guard pocket walls; and which is adapted to oat freely in the pocket.

It is also an object to provide simple and etilcient dust guard removing means.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear as the description proceeds.

The invention will be understood more readily upon reference to the ensuing description and the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal broken cross-sectional view of a journal box and axle assembly including one form of dust guard embodying my invention.' taken as indicated by the line I-I in Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken as indicated by the line II-II in Fig. 1, showing also a guard-removing tool embodying a feature of my invention. l v

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of another form of dust guard constructed in accordance with my invention.

/Fig. 4 is a fragmentary reduced elevational (ci. zas-6) view, of the inner sealing element appearing in I Fig. 3. I

Figs. 5 to l1 are views similar to Fig. 3, but of seven additional forms of my invention. Referring now more particularly to the drawing, a journal box is shown fragmentarily at I5 with its oil cellar lireceiving an end I1 of an axle I8. and with an end open at I! and re.- ceiving the dust guard seat 2i of the axle. The box has at said end a dust guard cavity or pocket 22 which divides the opening I9, said pocket having inner and outer walls 23 and 24, respectively. A dust guard construction embodying features of my invention is adapted tocooperate with the axle seat 2| and the walls of said pocket to effectively prevent escape of oil and infiltration of dust and other foreign matter.

A dust guard .constructed in accordance with one form of the invention is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and comprises a sheet metal or other casing or body 21 of generally annular form and of an axial width which may be slightly less than the distance between the pocket walls 23 and 2l. The body 21 has a rim or flange 28 providing inner and outer planar edges 28 and 30 adapted respectively to engage said walls. Radially-inward of these edge portions the body affords recesses 29' and 30 adapted to receive and trap any particles slipping by these edges toward the axle. In prior constructions, where wide surface engagement between the pocket walls and the dust guard has been the rule, such particles lodge between such surfaces and seriously interfere with sealing, cause undue wear and rbngore easily gain access to the oil in the journal A generally annular molded rubber, cork or other sealing element such as the gasket 32 is bonded or otherwise secured to a backing member 33 riveted or welded or otherwise suitably secured to the body 21 so as normally to project laterally beyond the outer flange edge 30 and engage the outer wall 24 of the dust guard pocket. The overall axial dimension of the dust guard is slightly less than the width of the pocket to provide adequate clearance for insertion and removal of the dust guard. The margins of the flanges may be formed as desired, but preferably present curved smooth edges 29 and 30 which, for ease in stamping, are turned out as Secured to the body 21 so as to project laterally beyond the inner flange edge 29are metal or other springs 3l, each preferably providing a curved bearing surface of spherical or other suitable shapevto afford substantially a point contact with the inner wall 23 of the dust guard pocket. 'I'hese springs may extend at any suitable angles, and may be in the form of cantilever leaves anchored by spot welding, riveting or otherwise, as at 36. The bearing surface enables each spring to be depressed readily into the pocketby the top edge 31 of the inner wall 23 of the pocket, thereby eliminating the need of a. special tool for depressing the springs, such tools being necessary whenordinary types of spring are employed. i

The springs 34 press against the inner wall 23 and thereby press the gasket 32 against the outer wall 24. 'I'he surface of the wall 24 so engaged is usually a casting surface, i. e., not very smooth,

y but the crests and valleys thereof are sealed by the gasket 32 due to its softness and resilience, when pressed by the springs.

The body 21 provides at its inner periphery a preferably circular cross-sectionally C-shaped channel portion 40 in which is anchored the rini 4| of an annular resilient element such asthe gasket 42. This element may be substantially centrally disposed,vif desired. The inner and outer edges, respectively,v of the rim 4| are under pressure and in substantially dovetailed sealing vengagement circumferentially throughout with the respective inner and outer channel walls 45 and 46. The gasket 42 has a web 46 projecting radially inwardly from said rim 4| through the annular throat or slot 49 of the channelportion 40, and this web is joined to a sealing gasket member of any suitable form, such as the tube or tire 56, dimensioned to have complete sealing` engagement under light pressure with the axle dust guard seat 2|.

Dust guard seats on railway axles of a given nominal size vary in practice plus or minus about yall.

'Ihe axle seat engaging part 5I! is formed` pocket 22, and its corners may be tapered as at 59 to facilitate insertion of the dust guard into the pocket.

A pair of eyes 6| suitably secured to the top of the dust guard are adapted to receive the prongs 62 of a dust guard extraction tool 63 which may comprise a pair of levers 64 and 64' hinged together as at 65, with handles 66 adapted to be disposed clear of the pocket 22 when the guard is fully disposed in the pocket. 'I'he tool is convenient for lowering the guard into the pocket and for holding the guard in a position to enable it to be slipped about the axle as the journal box is brought into its proper position.

The top of the pocket is sealed by an elongated stopper 68 having a preferably tapered cork or other suitablev yieldable gasket material 69 which to sealingly engage the different sizes within the I range indicated, encountered in practice. To that end, the member 42, or at least the part 50, is formed of material of such character from the standpoint of resilience that it will grip the largest seat with not too Agreat a pressureand the smallest seat with not too light a. pressure, and

x therefore will be long lived and eilcient.

TheA body 21 may be formed in any suitable way, prefer-ably by taking two parts such as the complemental parts 52 and 53, placing them with i the channel-forming walls and 46 thereof i straddling the unstressed rim 4| of the sealing i element 42, and then securing the parts 52 and I 53 together. The parts may be integrally united as by spot welding, riveting or otherwise, but

' The parts 52 and 53 provide together at the -The dust guard may be generally rectangular l or otherwise formed to tnon-rotatably in the i may also be separably connected as by any suiti z able number of bolt means 54 so that said parts may be disconnected and recon'nected for ready i replacement of a sealing element. 'I'he bolt 1 means may be equipped with suitable lock Washers if desired. The rim 4| of the sealing element I 42 is normally wider than the space between the y l portions of the channel walls 45 and 46 engaged thereby, so that when the parts 52 and 53 are properly assembled the rim 4| is squeezed between said walls to form thedesired seals.

may be united with a T-bar 10 or other suitable reinforcing means. Welded or otherwise suitably secured to and projecting from the reinforcing member 10 is a lug 1| between which and the journal box a prying or other extractiontool as indicated at 12 is adapted to be applied'to readily remove the stopper.

With the described sealing structure assembled, it will be observed that the radially inner periphery of the sealing element 42, the sealing rim edges 43 and 44, the stopper 68, the lateral gasket 32 and the guard flange edges 29 and 30 serve both as oil seals and as dust seals.

The gasket rim edge 44 serves to stop any oil escaping past the gasket rim edge 43, and the edge 43 serves to stop any dust filtering past the gasket edge 44.

The various seals aiorded by this invention accordingly render the construction fully effective as an oil seal and as a dust guard. The unit has minimum contact with-the outer wall of the dust guard pocket so as to provide minimum resistance to its movement relative to the journal box so that the unit is adapted to iloat freely in the pocket. Substantially the only wear on the axleembracing gasket 42 occurs at the seat 2| of the axle.

In the form of my invention appearing in Figs. 3 and 4, the central sealing element 15, instead of being tubular at its inner portion, is crosssectionally substantially U-shaped, providing arms 11 whose free edges 18 are arranged to bear on the axle seat 2|. Each edge 18 has a circumferential series of cuts or kerfs 19 which enable said edges to be flexed more readily to accommodate axle seats of different diameters as explained above, the arcuate segments thus formed being at all times interengaged at the cuts so as to preclude passage of oil and dust therethrough.

The form of the invention appearing in Fig. 5 differs from that of Fig. 1 essentially in that, in Fig. 5, the lateral gasket 32a, of cork, composition or other suitable material, is secured in a vmetallic or other socket or backing member 33a welded or otherwise suitably secured to the body 21, as at the outer side 46 of thechannel portion 40, which retains the axle gasket 42.

Fig. 6 is like Fig. 5 except that the former shows an axle gasket 42a'which diiers from the gasket 42 in that the rim 4|a is tubular as well as somewhat flat. Y

The axle gasket 42h of Fig. 7 diiers from that of Fig. 6 in that its tubular rim 4|b is of substantially round cross-section and is adapted to cooperate substantially with the edges of the retaining-channel -walls 45 and 46 to provide the sealing engagements. 4

In the form appearing in Fig. 8 is shown a .both the ridge u and modiiied, dust guard body 0|, formed of parts Joined as .by rivets, as shown rat l2, welding or otherwise.. 'Ihis I, I and 04 and is provided other relatively stif! genexalilt with a metal or annular ridge Il which may be copianar, crest, like the corresponding project beyond said edge. As

the edge -04 are engageable with the outer wall 2l of the dust guard pocket at the same time to function as oiland dustfoils or gaskets. The inner gasket-retaining channel l may be U-shaped as shown. A membranous or other preferably thin gasket sheet 00 of resilient soft oil-resistant rubber or other material is molded or otherwise formed into an annulus generally V-shaped in cross-section with its apex llinnermost. Fitted within the apex is a circular prefarably coiled spring Il to cause the apex to engage axle seats of different diameters with. a light pressure. Between the flanges 0| of the gasket member I8 is an annular block 02 of wood or other suitable material, and these are fitted in the channel 86 before the channel-forming parts are joined. Hollow rivets 0I or other suitable means join the block 92 and nanges 6| to the walls of the channel 66.

InFlg. 9 a further modified axle gasket 95 is shown. This gasket may be of resilient rubber and generally V-shaped in cross-section with its apex 90 outermost, said apex being preferably assembled with the dust guard body Sla as by placing the apex between the separated body parts or sections and fastening the sections together as by bolt means 54 so that they may be separated if desired, or by rivets or the like if a permanent connection is desired.-l The inwardly divergent arms are resiliently flexible toward each other to facilitate insertion and removal of the dust guard, and are formed with bearing surfaces 90 roughened as by circular grooves and intervening ridges. The edges on this and other forms of body may be turned as shown at 03a and 84a.

Fig. 10 illustrates a relatively non-resilient central sealing element of molded composition, Babbitt metal or other suitable bearing material, preferably in a continuous annular form, such as the gasket 31 of Fig. 1. may

axle gasket s! which is assembled with the chane nel 86 of the body 8|, as explained in connection with the form shown in Fig.' 9. This gasket is accordingly made to have a close nt with a. particular size axle seat to properly seal the same. The gasket is preferably flared at its outer side, as shown at |00, to guide the gasket onto the seat 2| from the axle end In Figs. 9 and 10 the ridge 85 is shown spot annuo body has-inner and outer pocket n v. wall engaging edges ,Il

with the edge Il as shown or, if desired,

shown in Fig. 8,

fix

welded or otherwise welded at 05', although it may be secured otherwise, and the inner surface $6 of the central gasket in Fig. 10 may be like those of Fig. 9.

Fig. l1 shows at |02 another type of journal box, to whose end |03 a dust guard body |04 is secured at |05, said body providing a channel |06 receiving the rim |01 of a central sealing element |08 of any suitable construction. Seals are efiective at the axle seat 2|, the inner and outer edges |09 and ||0 of the rim |01, the anchored iiange of the body and the inner wall I2 of the channel |06.

The outer flange edge of the dust guard body in Figs. 1 to l0 could serve as the sole lateral gasket at the outer side, or a gasket may be secured to or in place of said edge. The inner body flange edge could be on a separate member suitably assembled,

with the spring means to press both edges' toward the walls of the dust 'guard pocket.

The central sealing element of Figs. 1 to '1, 9, l0 and` 11 may turn relative to the supporting body, but is preferably provided with the lug or key l1 to prevent s uch turning.

'Ihe neck or web Il in the central sealing element of Figs. 1 to 'l and 11 is freely slidable in the slot in the channel, so that said element may move in its own plane relative to the supporting response to the vibration or logging of the axle, whilesaid element remains in sealing engagement with the walls of the channel, so that rubbing of the body against the walls of the pocket is It is to be understood that any type of bodyl shown. with o r without modification, as will be apparent to anyone skilled in the art, is adapted to cooperate with any type of axle gasket and pocket wall gasket illustrated. vAll non-metallic gaskets are of oiland wear-resistant material, such as cork, composition, synthetic rubber and` other substances.

I am aware that changes may be made through a wide range without departing from-the principles of my invention, and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than as necessitated by the prior art.

l. A dust guard comprising a support having an annular portion, and a central sealing element having an annular portion, said portions being separably dovetailed together and in sealing interengagement.

2. In an assembly including a journal box having an opening and an axle having a dust guard seat in said opening, `a unitary dust guard for said assembly, comprising a body having a lateral portion formed for sealing engagement with a lateral wall of said box about said seat, said body having an inwardly opening restricted channel, and a central sealing element comprising an annular oiland wear-resistant gasket formed to intimately and sealingly embrace said seat and extending freely through saidopening and having a transverse enlargement in said channel, said gasket being resiliently expansible and contractible at its inner periphery to accommodate axle seats of different diameters.

3. In an assembly including a journal box and an axle therein, a dust guard comprising a body formed for securement in sealing engagement with a wall of the box about the axle, said body having a restricted channel and a one-piece annular sealing element formed to embrace the axle and having an annular transversely enlarged anchoring formation clamped in securing engagement with the interior walls of said channel.

4. As an article of manufacture, a one-piece annular member comprising an inner soft radially resiliently expansible and contractible hollow axle-embracing part, an outer transversely enlarged, transversely compressible and expansible part, and a web integrally united to said parts.

5. As an article of manufacture, a dust sealing element comprising an annular one-piece member including a soft radially resiliently expansible and contractible axle-embracing part, a transversely enlarged, transversely compressible and lowftransversely enlarged, transversely expansible Y and contractible annular anchoring part.

7. A dust guard comprising `a support having an annularY inwardly `restricted channel, a onepiece resilient rubber member having an outer transversely enlarged portion in and in'sealing engagement with the sides of said channel and capable of radial movement in said channel while in said engagement, a web connected to said outer portion and extending freely inwardly through said channel opening, and a central axle-embracing portion connected,to said web.

8. A dust guard comprising a support having an annular inwardly restricted channel, -a onepiece resilient rubber member having an outer transversely enlarged portion in and in sealing engagement with the sides of said channel and capable of radial movement in said channel while in said engagement, a web connected to said outer portion and extending freely inwardly through said channel opening, and a central tubular axleembracing portion connected to said web.

9. A dust guard comprising a support havirm an annular inwardly' restricted channel, a one-piece resilient rubber member having an outer transversely enlarged portion in and in sealing engagement with the sides of said channel and capable of radial movement in said channel while in said engagement, a web connected to said outer portion and extending freely inwardly through said channel opening, a central axle-embracing portion connected to said web, and means associated with said channel and element for preventing relative rotation thereof.

10. A dust guard comprising a pair of complemental annular relatively rigid members separa-l bly connected together and forming an inwardly opening restricted channel, a one-piece resilient annular rubber member having an outer transversely enlarged portion in and in sealing engagement with the sides of said channel and capable of radial' movement in said channel while in said engagement, a web connected to said outer portion and extending freely inwardly through said channel opening, and a central axle-embracing portion connected to said web, said enlarged portion being normally wider than the portions of the channel engaged thereby so as to be under compression.

' DOUGLAS H. JOHANNESEN- 

